Gate latch

ABSTRACT

The design of this gate latch features simplicity, convenience, and safety. This is a drop fork latch with a safety retainer. The assembly consists of four parts and it can be mounted on the gate post or the end of the gate.

Q Umted States Patent 1 i M :1 3,888,527

Haisler 1 June 10, 1975 [54] GATE LATCH 301w; I;

J) 2 ic ar s.. [7h] lnvcntur: Melvin Rqger Halsltl. Rt. 5. Bnx 75. 2.523954 W950 Harm" 292/2) Dcnwn- 3.042.435 7/1962 Wicsclcretal 292/54 x [22 Filed: Nov. 5. 1973 [2 N0: PI'I'FHUF'V Examiner-Richard M00]? [52] US. Cl. .2 292/213 [57] ABSTRACT [51} Int. Cl. EUSC 3/04 531 Field of Search 292/54. 210. 2| 3. 214 0f '99" features 191p; 8 DIG H DIG 3O vemence, and safety. This 15 a drop fork latch Will! a h safety retainer. The assembly consists of four parts [56 References and and it can be mounted on the gate post or the end of [h I UNITED STATES PATENTS e gd e I IH3.U9U 5/!916 Luudcn 292/238 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures GATE LATCH The gate latch is made of steel and its purpose is to keep a gate closed. When the fork part of the latch is in a vertical position the gate can open or swing freely. To hold a gate closed the fork part of the latch must be in a horizontal position. When in use the safety catch prevents the fork from being accidentally raised to a vertical position by any livestock. etc. The safety catch can very easily be pushed aside with one finger and the fork can be raised with another finger of the same hand. The safety catch can be installed to function with a right hand action or a left hand action.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

FIG. I is a front view,

FIG. 2 is a side view,

FIG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric of the latch assembly.

Referring to the drawing, the frame 5 contains two threaded holes II and I2. For a right hand safety catch action a screw 21 is placed through hole 9 of safety catch 8 and screwed into hole II and a nut is used to hold screw 21 firm and secure as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Holes and I3 coincide with each other so that the shackle of a lock may be placed through them. For a left hand safety catch action the safety catch 8 can be turned opposite hand and holes 9 and I2, 10 and 14 will correspond respectively.

The fork 6 is held in place by a retainer 7 which is secured to the frame 5 with the mounting fastener during installation as shown in FIG. 3. Holes 15 and i7, 16 and 18 coincide with each other respectively to serve as the fastener holes. Holes l9 and 20 are used for additional mounting fasteners. For optional use the frame 5 and retainer 7 can be welded together.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A pivoting fork gate latch containing a safety catch which automatically locks the fork in a horizontal position and firmly holds it in a vertical position, comprismg:

a fork being a U-shaped rod resting on the top side of the lower of two an gle-shaped flanges on a frame and held in place by a retainer, said retainer being a flat strap and having a portion shaped to fit over the axial section of said fork, said portion being notched on each side allowing it to fit between the legs of said fork;

said frame being formed of a strap to have an angle flange at top and bottom end and being slotted out on each side within the central portion allowing the fork to be engaged in this area, said slots beginning at inner end of a horizontal flange on lower end of said frame and extending into and through the horizontal portion of the said flange at top end of frame wherein said fork is supported in a horizontal position by the material remaining at the end of the two slots on the horizontal flange at bottom end of said frame and said fork is free to pivot upward to a vertical position;

a safety catch comprising, a flat strap of metal having a notched-out bottom corner on one side and a hole near the same side, said hole being a greater distance from the bottom end than the top end of said safety catch; when suspended in said hole with means connected to said frame in a corresponding location and facilitating proper relation between said notch and one leg of fork, said safety catch will automatically remain in a position that implements an obstruction which interferes with the pivoting movement of said fork; said safety catch must be manually forced into a position so that the notched edge coincides with the appropriate slotted edge of said frame in order to allow unrestrained pivoting movement of said fork.

2. A gate latch as set forth in claim 1 having an open hole in said safety catch cooperating with an open hole in said frame so that the shackle of a lock may be placed through these holes to lock said safety catch in a position which obstructs the pivoting movement of said fork, and a symmetrical hole pattern on both sides of said frame permitting suspension, function, and locking of said safety catch on either side of gate latch.

3. A gate latch as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

the said fork which holds a gate closed when the legs are in a horizontal position and gate facilities are engaged between them;

the said frame and retainer with cooperating holes to facilitate assembly and installation of gate latch to appropriate gate facilities, wherein said frame is installed with said slotted edges in a vertical position; the said safety catch suspended by said hole which is located in its upper area and away from the center line of its vertical and horizontal axis so that when in a natural state the edge of said safety catch will remain in a position other than vertical or horizontal, so that when said fork is in a horizontal position the notch in said safety catch will rest against and above one leg of said fork to block it from being pivoted upward and when said fork is in a vertical position the outward swinging edge of said safety catch provides a sufficient resistance against the same said leg of said fork to keep it from freely falling back into a horizontal position.

i I III I. 

1. A pivoting fork gate latch containing a safety catch which automatically locks the fork in a horizontal position and firmly holds it in a vertical position, comprising: A FORK BEING A U-shaped rod resting on the top side of the lower of two angle-shaped flanges on a frame and held in place by a retainer, said retainer being a flat strap and having a portion shaped to fit over the axial section of said fork, said portion being notched on each side allowing it to fit between the legs of said fork; SAID FRAME BEING FORMED OF A STRAP TO HAVE AN ANGLE FLANGE AT TOP AND BOTTOM END AND BEING SLOTTED OUT ON EACH SIDE WITHIN THE CENTRAL PORTION ALLOWING THE FORK TO BE ENGAGED IN THIS AREA, SAID SLOTS BEGINNING AT INNER END OF A HORIZONTAL FLANGE ON LOWER END OF SAID FRAME AND EXTENDING INTO AND THROUGH THE HORIZONTAL PORTION OF THE SAID FLANGE AT TOP END OF FRAME WHEREIN SAID FORK IS SUPPORTED IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION BY THE MATERIAL REMAINING AT THE END OF THE TWO SLOTS ON THE HORIZONTAL FLANGE AT BOTTOM END OF SAID FRAME AND SAID FORK IS FREE TO PIVOT UPWARD TO A VERTICAL POSITION; A SAFETY CATCH COMPRISING, A FLAT STRAP OF METAL HAVING A NOTCHED-OUT BOTTOM CORNER ON ONE SIDE AND A HOLE NEAR THE SAME SIDE, SAID HOLE BEING A GREATER DISTANCE FROM THE BOTTOM END THAN THE TOP END OF SAID SAFETY CATCH; WHEN SUSPENDED IN SAID HOLE WITH MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME IN A CORRESPONDING LOCATION AND FACILITATING PROPER RELATION BETWEEN SAID NOTCH AND ONE LEG OF FORK, SAID SAFETY CATCH WILL AUTOMATICALLY REMAIN IN A POSITION THAT IMPLEMENTS AN OBSTRUCTION WHICH INTERFERES WITH THE PIVOTING MOVEMENT OF SAID FORK; SAID SAFETY CATCH MUST BE MANUALLY FORCED INTO A POSITION SO THAT THE NOTCHED EDGE COINCIDES WITH THE APPROPRIATE SLOTTED EDGE OF SAID FRAME IN ORDER TO ALLOW UNRESTRAINED PIVOTING MOVEMENT OF SAID FORK.
 2. A gate latch as set forth in claim 1 having an open hole in said safety catch cooperating with an open hole in said frame so that the shackle of a lock may be placed through these holes to lock said safety catch in a position which obstructs the pivoting movement of said fork, and a symmetrical hole pattern on both sides of said frame permitting suspension, function, and locking of said safety catch on either side of gate latch.
 3. A gate latch as set forth in claim 1, comprising: the said fork which holds a gate closed when the legs are in a horizontal position and gate facilities are engaged between them; the said frame and retainer with cooperating holes to facilitate assembly and installation of gate latch to appropriate gate facilities, wherein said frame is installed with said slotted edges in a vertical position; the said safety catch suspended by said hole which is located in its upper area and away from the center line of its vertical and horizontal axis so that when in a natural state the edge of said safety catch will remain in a position other than vertical or horizontal, so that when said fork is in a horizontal position the notch in said safety catch will rest against and above one leg of said fork to block it from being pivoted upward and when said fork is in a vertical position the outward swinging edge of said safety catch provides a sufficient resistance against the same said leg of said fork to keep it from freely falling back into a horizontal position. 